Page 34 of The Tribes of Magic
“Very well,” Kato said. “Since you have no further?—”
“This is ridiculous.” Duchess Dellondré cut him off, then she turned to address the Court. “This little girl has manipulated everything. And now she thinks she can escape justice by inventing some silly story?”
“Kato is the one who told you the knives were enchanted, not I,” I pointed out.
Dellondré tittered. “Of course she has him under her spell too,” she told the Court. “He would say anything she wanted him to say.”
“I can assure you my words are my own,” Kato said coolly. “My mind is my own.”
Dellondré made a derisive noise.
“Fine. You don’t believe me. So let’s ask an expert of your own to examine the evidence. Would that satisfy the Court? Lord Daykan!” Kato called out. “Would you kindly examine the murder weapons? I’m sure you will find I’m telling the truth. These knives were enchanted to take control over Queen Seriana’s and Prince Fenris’s bodies.”
Lord Daykan, the most famous Alchemist in the Many Realms and an esteemed member of the Court, emerged from the crowd. “I would be pleased to examine the evidence for the Court.”
“Proceed, Lord Daykan.” Diadora’s words cut off whatever catty remark Dellondré was about to make.
Daykan joined Kato beside the table. He picked up the first knife, turning it over in his hands a few times. “Hmm.” Then he took the second knife and repeated the action, over and over again.
“Have you determined anything, Lord Daykan?”
“Yes, Duchess Diadora. Yes, indeed. I’ve determined the Gaians speak the truth. These knives were enchanted. But not by either of them.” Lord Daykan pulled out a pair of bizarre-looking spectacles and viewed one of the knives through them. “The signature doesn’t match their magic.”
“Then whose signature is it?” someone asked.
“That’s what I’m still trying to figure out.” Daykan tapped the side of his glasses, flipping through various colored lenses.
Kato took a few steps toward the crowd. “I should point out to the Court that these are ceremonial knives, knives the culprit knew Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris would wear for a meeting of the Court—andonlya meeting of the Court. A place where they would be among supposed friends.”
“Are you suggesting a member of the Court enchanted these knives to kill Queen Seriana and Prince Fenris?” asked a female Sorcerer in a very dragon-like black dress.
Kato nodded. “I am.”
“That is preposterous!” Dellondré exclaimed. “No member of the Court has ever attacked another when the Court was in session.”
Lord Daykan set the knives down on the table. “Unfortunately, Duchess Dellondré, that is a claim we can no longer make. The enchantment on these knives is Lord Zeryck’s work.”
Lord Daykan pointed at an Alchemist dressed in a very intricate gold-and-turquoise jacket with matching pants.
Lord Zeryck made a run for it, but he didn’t make it far. Diadora sang to a pair of bronze panther sculptures on either side of the door. They sprang to life and tackled Zeryck to the ground.
Diadora strolled across the room toward him, her heels clicking against the floor. “Now we will get answers. LordZeryck, why did you enchant the knives to turn against Seriana and Fenris?” She looked down on him, her hands stroking the heads of her animated panthers.
Zeryck struggled to speak through the bronze paw pressing down on his throat. “Trust me, it was nothing personal.”
“You betrayed your oath to this Court!” Count Qwintyn’s angry shout shook the walls. The Sorcerer was large, loud, and—apparently—powerful.
“I didn’t have a choice, Qwintyn,” Zeryck protested. “I received an anonymous delivery with the knives inside. And also instructions to enchant them so they turned against their bearers. I had to comply. They threatened my family.”
Duchess Diadora’s topaz eyes narrowed. “Who? Who made you do this, Zeryck?”
Zeryck shook his head—or at least tried to. The panther paw made the action difficult. “I don’t know. As I said, the note was anonymous. I was told to leave the enchanted daggers in a deposit box at Moonlight Park once I was finished.”
Daykan glanced at Diadora. “Do you believe him?”
“Perhaps,” she said, frowning. “In any case, I intend to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.”
Duchess Diadora headed for the exit, singing a few more notes to her panthers. They followed their mistress, dragging Zeryck after them.
